We have become used to seeing extended editions of movies and even versions of the video game director, but Microsoft announcing an expanded version of its own E3 digital conference is something that left us both disconcerted and intrigued . And we are not going to lie to you, with the battery of ads that he released and the weight of them, we could not miss it.
343 Industries, Playground Games, Rare, and the bulk of Xbox Game Studios are back to talking, showing, and bragging about the games that will shape the immediate future of the Xbox brand. And in the process, they brought the previews and news of what is to come to the Game Pass to increasingly pampered subscribers.
In an E3 in which the Xbox project has been remarkably strengthened, the companies that make up Xbox Game Studios still had something to say about what has already been shown. And, as expected of us, at VidaExtra we have gathered everything in one place.
Here’s everything announced at the Xbox Games Showcase: Extended.
A Plague Tale: Innocence will look like a new generation
Asobo Studio did not show A Plague Tale: Requiem again, but A Plague Tale: Innocence. And he had good reason for it: one of the best survival adventures released in recent years will receive next-generation updates, including 4K UHD resolution, 60 FPS and 3D audio audio. And not only that: the brothers Amicia and Hugo will also arrive on Nintendo Switch through cloud play.
Age of Empires IV
The return of Age of Empires supposes the return of the historical strategy with capital letters. E3 2021 served to set the release date for the highly anticipated fourth numbered installment of the cult saga, but there were still things to be done. Among them, two new civilizations: the Rus and the Holy Roman Empire.
After relaunching the three previous gala-clad installments, Age of Empires IV will extend Microsoft’s legacy in the real strategy genre and, in the process, add value to the Game Pass. Its launch: next October 28.
Battlefield 2042
The return of the Battlefield saga will bet everything on online multiplayer, but it does not need a campaign to blow our minds: EA has taken advantage of the two Xbox events to show its 128-player battles in motion and they are a spectacle of chaos and destruction in which the climatic phenomena will make a difference.
Microsoft Flight Simulator
Taking advantage of the fact that the Xbox Game Studios aviation simulator will land on desktops very soon, Microsoft and Asobo Studio once again leave us fascinated with their views, landscapes and the level of detail of their planes and, in the process, they have explained the improvements and adjustments made for console gamers to enjoy the experience that has blown away PC gamers.
By the way, Xbox Game Studios has once again gained muscle with the announced collaboration with Top Gun , and although it has shown the new planes, there has not been much talk about the content that will arrive. We will have to wait for the premiere of the film. A winning combination for which he will be the maximum reference of aviation simulation on consoles.
Forza Horizon 5
Boundless driving on Xbox has its own name: Forza Horizon 5. PlayGround Games’ upcoming open world takes us to exotic Mexico to put some of the most amazing cars ever assembled to the test.
The keys: the longest road in the entire saga, 11 exquisitely crafted biomes, the four-season system shown in Forza Horizon 4 and a date: Forza Horizon 5 will be played on November 9 and will be out on the Game Pass.
Grounded
Considering Obsidian’s track record, Grounded might seem like a minor title. However, the Xbox Game Studios version of Darling, I Shrunk the Kids has become quite an experience.
The contents of his announced expansion The Shroom and Doom are the perfect excuse to reduce to the size of an ant and return to that endless garden.
Hades
After sweeping PC and Nintendo Switch, Hades heads to the Xbox and PlayStation desktops that will extend his well-deserved success. Throughout the extended event, Supergigant Games offered a very light Greek mythology lesson as a pretext to show off the game’s superb isometric action. By the way, Game Pass subscribers have an additional advantage: they will be able to play Hades from day one and without having to pay a penny more.
Halo Infinite
Multiplayer is the quintessence of the Halo saga, and Microsoft knows it well. Precisely for this reason, he dedicated almost all of the minutes of E3 destined to the return of the Master Chief to the call to be the star of Halo Infinite. The Xbox Games Showcase: Extended has served to review the modes, content and launch plans, and the promised points very high.
Halo Infinite will go on sale at the end of the year, around Christmas 2021, on Xbox One, next-generation Xbox and PC. It can be played at launch in the Game Pass and, in addition, its multiplayer will be completely free.
Psychonauts 2
Psychonauts’ insane 3D platformer returns with a long-awaited sequel. Raz’s mental powers and his ability to get inside the heads of other characters, in the literal sense of the term, reignite the imagination of the most Psychonauts 2-inspired Tim Schafer.
While the original Psychonauts has been linked to the Xbox brand since its development phase, the sequel will arrive on August 25 on virtually all systems (Xbox One, Xbox Series X / S, PS4, PS5 and PC). With the added advantage that Game Pass subscribers will be able to play it from launch day. What less.
Scarlet Nexus
RPG, action and manganime go hand in hand in Scarlet Nexus, the next big release from Bandai Namco. In fact, its departure is just around the corner: on June 25, 2021 it will be playable on Xbox One, Xbox Series X / S, PS4, PS5 and PC. And nothing like a generous preview of everything it will offer with developer feedback to warm up the atmosphere.
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2
Microsoft left us with no news about Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 in its Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase of E3 2021, but that does not mean that the new Team Ninja is still one of the great attractions of Xbox Game Studios. Luckily, the sequel to Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice has been one of the great attractions of this extended edition of Microsoft’s E3.
Sea of Thieves
Sea of Thieves hasn’t stopped growing since its launch, and we love that. Rare’s cooperative offshore adventure welcomes a rare guest: Captain Jack Sparrow himself, the brilliant and wacky character from Pirates of the Caribbean.
Shredders
Snowsports and snowboarding have always worked wonders on consoles, and Shredders will continue that legacy. Epic descents, movements and falls, in freezing temperatures and with dreamlike views.
STALKER 2
The highly anticipated STALKER 2: Heart of Chernobyl establishes the brutal offering of console and PC survival FPS and, although it is a temporary exclusivity, its reappearance with commented gameplay is good news for Xbox fans.
The sequel to STALKER will be playable from April 28, 2022 on Xbox and PC, and will be added to the Xbox Game Pass catalog at launch.
The Anacrusis
The Anacrusis is not a playable revolution, but if science fiction inspired by the classic television series has everything it takes to have us dishing out shots like crazy.
Shown during the Summer Game Fest, The Anacrusis takes up the playable premise of Left 4 Dead and brings the essence of cooperative FPS to that idealized version of space from Star Trek (the classic series) or Lost in Space.
Xbox Design Lab Comes to Next-Gen Controllers
The Xbox Design Lab program takes the generational leap, and that means that from today we can give the colors we want to our Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S controllers from the Microsoft website. From the front to the buttons.
It is worth remembering that the new models of controls include Bluetooth connection and improvements in touch and ergonomics, as well as a button for captures. To which we must add that Microsoft controls are still the favorites when playing on PC.
Microsoft builds muscle with ID @ Xbox
The Xbox indies program continues to grow and the Game Pass is a scandal. Xbox Games Showcase: Extended has served as context to show in motion a wide flurry of great little gems developed with the purpose of becoming our next playable surprise. That discovery that we will be happy to share.
